The National Working Committee, NWC, of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has drew the curtains on its governorship candidates for the forthcoming general election, with Governor Rochas Okorocha finally losing out in his bid to foist his son-in-law as the party’s candidate on Imo State.
This came on a day the Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, struck out motions by two factions of APC in the state.
It was gathered that the NWC almost unanimously reverted to the report of the Ahmed Gulak Committee, which conducted the first primary that produced Senator Hope Uzodinma as the party’s governorship candidate for the state.
Besides, there were other surprises, with Dapo Abiodun reportedly remaining the candidate in Ogun State to the discomfort of Governor Ibikunle Amosun.
Governor Amosun had supported a member of the House of Representatives, Adekunle Akinlade, as the candidate, but the NWC was said to have adopted the report of the congress, which produced Dapo Abiodun.
Accordingly, the party has concluded all arrangements to send the names of the approved candidates to Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, ahead of the November 2 deadline for the submission of governorship candidates.
A source privy to the outcome of the meeting of the NWC, said the meeting also reviewed the conduct of primaries in the states, especially in areas where there were challenges and decided to weigh its options before arriving at major decisions.
“Although, the chairman was summoned to the Villa in the middle of the meeting, the decision on Imo State was almost unanimous. Hope Uzodinma is the man,” said the source.
The party also submitted Dr Dauda Lawal as the governorship candidate for Zamfara State.
Meanwhile, loyalists to Governor Okorocha, have protested in Owerri against recognition of Senator Uzodinma as the party’s governorship candidate, urging Oshiomhole, to recognise Nwosu in Uzodinma’s stead.
The loyalists who are mainly over 600 elected councillors in the state, blocked major streets in the state capital.
This is about the third time supporters of the governor have protested in the state over the political battle on who picks the gubernatorial ticket of APC.
The councillors, led by state chairman of Councillors Forum, Godwin Nwankwo, also said they would not accept automatic ticket, insisting that the names of those who won the primaries conducted by Ibrahim Agbaabika’s committee should be recognised.
Nwankwo said: “We are in support of the Agbabiaka’s results that declared Uche Nwosu winner of the governorship primaries and we don’t want anybody to change the result. We are not happy with the story we are hearing concerning automatic ticket.”
“We are calling on our national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, to do the right thing so that our party will be stronger in Imo State. Okorocha is the leader of the party in the state.”
Recall, a similar protest by loyalists to Okorocha had threatened to dump the party should the APC not recognize Nwosu as the flag bearer of the party in the state.
Secretary General, Southeast for President Mohammadu Buhari’s, Group Mr. Charles Chalvon, said the substitution of names remained unacceptable to members of APC, in the state.
“The NWC adopted the report of Agbabiaka’s result, Just on Friday, we got the report that those people who won the primaries that their names had been removed and replaced with other names.
“They removed the name of Nnamdi Obiaraeri, (Imo North) Paschal Obi, Ideato federal constituency Ideato) Kingsley Uju, (Oru East, Oguta, Ohaji/Egbme, Oru west federal constituency)
“As party faithfuls, we are here to say no to what is happening in APC, They also dropped Semion Iwunze, and brought another person, a woman.
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“We are pleading that the party, the national chairman of our party, Adams Oshiomhole, should not do anything that will end the existence of the party. Some of us left PDP because of this kind of thing and now it is happening in APC.
“We stand for democracy, let them come out and stand for election. We believe in President Mohammadu Buhari, and we will vote Buhari in 2019.”
